1. Collect everything you can from the start location.
2. Find where your crashed ship is. Immediately head towards it. Walk it, don`t run.
3. On the way zap carbon and any stuff you find along the way. Repair your scanner.
4. Always be on the lookout for zinc. Your scanner will help you find that zinc if you fix it.
5. Look for any near cave and stop in it to get your environmental suit protection back up, especially when it gets dark.
5a, If you`re lucky you might even come across a small base or even (gasp) a sell/buy point. Rest use it. see 6. otherwise go to 7.
6. If you do come across a buy/sell point then it`s worth hanging around to collect and buy as much stuff as possible. You`re probably going to be ok. But these things are the luck of the draw, I came acrossonly 1 out of 6 tries.
7. Normally though just keep heading to the ship and you should just make it.

Conclusion: the main point is do NOT hang around at the start location, you have to get moving to the ship and collect stuff as you move. You might still die, but you will definitely run out of stuff and die if you hang around your start location.